Sheila Jordan, a legendary jazz vocalist known for her work with Blue Note, has passed away at 96. Her daughter, Tracey, shared the news on Instagram on August 11. She wrote, “My dearest mum Sheila Jordan passed away peacefully this afternoon. Her friend Joan Belgrave played her a bebop tune called ‘Bill for Bennie’ by her late husband, Marcus Belgrave. My mom fell asleep listening to the music she loved.”
Tracey also mentioned that funds raised on Sheila’s GoFundMe page will help pay off medical debt and secure a burial plot at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Jazz Corner. A memorial service will be held at Saint Peter’s Church in New York City in the future.
Sheila was born in Detroit on November 18, 1928, but was raised by her grandparents in Pennsylvania. Her early life was tough, with her mother struggling with alcoholism. Sheila found her passion for jazz as a teenager. She recalled the moment she heard Charlie Parker’s ‘Now’s the Time’ at a local diner. “After the first four notes, I was hooked,” she said.
She quickly learned Parker’s complex solos and even performed for him in Detroit. He once told her, “You have million-dollar ears, kid.” In 1951, Sheila moved to New York and married pianist Duke Jordan. Their marriage faced challenges, and they divorced in 1962. That same year, she recorded her first album, Portrait of Sheila, which is still celebrated in vocal jazz. After her daughter left for college, Sheila returned to the studio to record in a more accessible style.
